Ink Out Loud: Nothing like the real thing --

My iPod must have been in some sort of psychic mode. Within two miles a fox followed by an owl, a hawk and then two deer crossed my car's path as David Byrne belted out "Wild, Wild Life" through my car stereo speakers.

Stars exploded, plummeting toward the Earth -- so many that I ran out of wishes to make. It was better than the Fourth of July.

These were unexpected intrusions of beauty -- nature's surprises in a world where virtually everything, is ... well, virtual.

The Fisher-Price company is taking a bit of a beating after releasing its infant chair that features an iPad holder for the baby.

Of course it's a parental decision to purchase or use such a device, but it may help to know that pediatrician studies confirm that TV and other entertainment media should be avoided for infants and children younger than 2. A child's brain develops rapidly in the early years. The studies indicate that children learn most effectively by interacting with people, not screens.

I don't think there is any reason to vilify Fisher-Price. Most parents simply want to give their children educational advantages as soon as possible. The world outside can be a dangerous place, too.

Reading, talking, repetition and sign language are some of the most recommended activities to engage in with an infant, because researchers have consistently found that infants learn more from a live demonstration than they do from touch-screen computers or television.

On another "keeping it real" front, a study conducted by psychology professor Anita Kelly, of University of Notre Dame in Indiana suggests lying negatively impacts physical health.

Kelly tracked the health of 110 adults for 10 weeks. Half of the group was instructed to stop lying while the study was underway. The other half was not given any specific instructions, but they knew they would be reporting the number of lies they told.

Test study participants filled out questionnaires and were also given polygraph tests each week.

Kelly's findings indicated that the health of participants declined when lies were told.

She also discovered that health improved when the participants told the truth.

Previous medical research suggests that lying triggers the release of stress hormones, which elevate the heart-rate and blood pressure.

Lying can contribute to lower-back pain, headaches, fatigue and infertility.

If you want the straight-up truth, you can usually ask a child. The proof is in a few letters to Santa, as follows:

"Dear Santa,

My Christmas wish is for my mom. She needs a new house because her room is a mess and her room is little."

Now that's funny.

The next letter to Santa just rips at my heartstrings:

"Dear Santa,

I know this is a lot to ask, but the only thing that I want for Christmas is something that I'm not sure I can get. The only thing that I want for Christmas is my Grandma. She has bone cancer and all I want is for her to get better. I don't know if you can do this, but it would mean everything to me if you can help her last ?til Christmas at least. That is all I want for Christmas this year. I don't want toys, I don't want anything. All I want is my Grandma."

Last year at this time I was getting ready to participate in an annual Christmas toy giveaway when I heard the horrific news about the children gunned down at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

There were 26 people killed in all and 20 were children who would never write another letter to Santa.

The world grieved and sent millions of cards. People prayed. Some rushed to the small town to help any way they could.

I think about the year that has passed and how those families feel now that many people have forgotten -- scattering to the scenes of the next tragedies or resigning themselves to political arguments and conspiracy theories.

I hope to be distracted by another shooting star. I'll be sure to wish for peace, love and comfort for those families.

Mandy Feder is the Managing Editor of Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at 263-5636 ext. 32 or by email at mandyfeder@yahoo.com.